Foldable coat hanger



Dec. 22, N53 J. G. ALBERT FOLDABLE COAT HANGER Filed July 30, 1952 m m m m JEROME e. ALBER ATT'YS Patented Dec. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT 2,663,470 OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to foldable coat hangers and particularly to such devices for use bysha e elers, and which can be easily folded to a inpa and size that will be convenient to carrl lr1 artpurse or pocket or tr;1 store in the glove co p n automob' e. fie fnim objects of this invention are to pig; vide an improved and simplified foldal]; e cadhanger; to provide such a device that can e I: et hung any r ass gfirtifinithth endorsarppi 11 22112 02231? or tear when the device is benlilg egg: ried in the pocket or purse; to provlde suc t aorm vice which can be folded to a flat compare1 as a that may be carried in a pocket as rea nybe of pair of glasses and which when foldeddw1 imapproximately the same size; to provi ealn will proved foldable pocket coat hanger whic t 6 open to a size suitable for substantially anly y?- of garment; to provide an improved foldab efgatiment hanger construction wh1ch will permit oth ing to pocket size and yet have sufficient strengroj when opened, to support an overcoat, and odp1 vide such a device of simple. construction an ow in cost. s g c i fi c embodiment of this invent on is shown in the accompanying drawmgs in which. d Figure 1 is a perspectivztview of the improve er in folded con 1 ion. g is a perspective view of the same in ition for use. 3 an enlarged fragmentary v1ew, partly in section, showing one of the telescoping 311125 of the hanger and the manner of attachment 0 tral frame. i g i l is a sectional view of aleg of the central frame as taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a View showing the folded hanger a carrying case, the hanger be1ng shown in do 1glen outline and the carrying case being partly bro e li g shown in the drawings the improved fold; able hanger comprises an inverted U-shape 1 central frame member having a pair of parali;1 downwardly extending legs I and 2, each of whic is in the form of an outwardly opening channel of semicircular cross section. The free end of each leg is bifurcated by cutting away the mner or central wall portion of the channel section, as

3, and the side portions 4 of the channel are flattened and widened laterally outward, 1n the direction of the channel opening, to provide the jaws of a clevis which lies in a plane normal 3 the plane of the U-shaped frame member an5 in which the inner end of a telescopmg arm is pivoted on a rivet or pin 6 extending between the side portions 4 on an axis normal to the plane of the frame member. Thus the arms 5 are swingable in the plane of the frame member between the folded and laterally extending pos1- tions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively. As shown, each arm 5 is made up of a plurality of tubular sections, of progressively smal1er cross sectional size or diameter, arranged to-slidably telescope one into the other and the innermost section is made to have an outside diameter substantially the same as the inside diameter of the semicircular channel in the leg of the central frame member. Also each rivet or pivot pin 6 is located in the side portions or jaws 4 of the respective clevis so as to be offset laterally outward from the center of the channel of the leg sufficient to permit the arm 5, when swung upwardly parallel with the respective leg, to nest into or lie along the channel of the leg.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the inner end 1 of. the innermost arm section extends beyond the pivot pin 6 and the central inner wall portion of the frame member leg. Thus when the arm is in its lowered or operative position the inner end 1 will engage the edge of the central leg wall portion, in the bight of the clevis, and hold the arm in laterally extended position for supporting a garment hung thereon. The location of the pivot, below the bight of the clevis, will determine the angle of rest of the laterally extended position of the arm, relative to the vertical axis of the frame member, and preferably this is arranged so that the extended arm will slope downwardly from the frame member at substantially the same angle as the average slope of the shoulder portions of the coat, jacket or other garment which the hanger is intended to support.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the outer edge portions of each leg of the frame member are provided with a pair of outwardly projecting tongues 8 and 9, formed to extend beyond the center line, oraxis, of the arm 5 when it is in folded position; These tongues are preferably located adjacent the upper end or bight portion of the frame member and are curved slightly toward each other so as to partially embrace the innermost arm section when it is folded to lie along the channel of the frame member leg. The tongue ends are rounded to avoid sharp corners and preferably the tongues are of less length than one-half the width of the inner arm section so that they will not extend beyond the folded arm. The tongues 8 and 9 thus serve as resilient clamps which will hold the arms in folded position when the device is not in use as a hanger.

The telescopic construction of the arms 5 is illustrated in Fig. 3 in which an arm having three sections of progressively smaller size or diameter is shown. The innermost arm section in is tubular and of the largest diameter and a bushing or hearing H is inserted in the outer end. of the member to provide a snug sliding fit and support for the next smaller diameter arm section I2, which is also tubular. As shown the outer end of the section it is spun inwardly to retain the bushing and the inner end of the section I2 is flared, as at !3, to provide a limit stop for movement of this section in the outward direction. It will be understood that the bushing I! is of sufficient length to keep the sections l0 and i2 axially aligned and to prevent relative bending when the arm is supporting the tion, as shown in Fig.

.appr

1 traveling bag automobile.

manufacture, whereby bight of ing the garment, but also tends to keep the-gar ment from slipping.

Preferably the improved coat hanger construction is proportioned sothat in its folded condil, its over-all length will ately five inches and its width approximate two inches. lhus the device may be fitted do a pocket type of glasses case, as shown in 11 for convenience in carrying in acoat pocket or purse, or for easy storage in a or-th glove compartment of an forming the legs of the frame member with channel shape, in cross section, the arms 5 may be partially housed in the legs when folded, thus permitting a construction hav ing adequate strength within a minimum space; and by forming the central frame as an'inverted U the device maybe readily hung on a horizontal rodor bar which does not have an open end-as well as on the usual coat hook'or peg.

Other advantages of the invention are to be found in its simplicity of construction, which requires a minimum of material and is easy to the cost of manufacture is low enough to make its selling price attractive.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and describe i will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted with departingirom the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described compr a central frame member the to m o. an inverted U each leg of which. is bifurcated-at it free endto provide the of a clevislying in a plane normal to the plane of the frame'm'embe'r, a lateral arm mounted on leg of said frame member and having its inner end "tending between the jaws of the respective clevis, and'means adjacent the inner end of each arm pivotally connecting the arm. with the jaws of the respective clevis on a pivot axis normal to the plane a yond the respective pivot means for-engagement with the'bight of tho -clevis when. the. arm is at a laterally extending position.

3. A device of the class described comprising an inverted U-shaped central frame member each leg'of'which has an outwardly opening channel shaped section substantially throughout its length, each leg of said frame member being bifurcated at its free end to provide the jaws of a clevis disposed in a plane normal to the plane of the'frame member, a lateral arm mounted on each leg of the frame member and having its inher end extending between the jaws of the respective clevis, and means adjacent the inner end of 1.3 each arm pivotally connecting the arm to the jaws of the respective clevis on a pivot axis normal to theplane of the frame member whereby the arm is swingable about the pivot axis to lie in and along the channel of the frame member leg, the

go inner end of each arm extending beyond the pivot means for engagement with the bight of therespective clevis when theiarmis at a laterally extended-position.

4. A device of the classdescribecl comprising an 25 inverted U-shaped central frame member each leg-ofwhich has an outwardly opening semicircular channel shaped section :substantially throughout its length,-each leg ..'of-. said frame member being bifurcat'edat its free end.to:provide l the jaws of a clevis disp'osed in a plane normal "to theplane of the frame member', alateral arm of cylindrical formmounted on each-legpf the frame member and having its innerend. extending between the jaws of the respective clevis, and

3.3 means adjacent the innerend'of each armpivotally connecting the arm to the-jawsof thetrespective clevis on a pivot axisnormal-to the plane of the frame member whereby the arm is swingable about the pivot axis to nest in and along the 40* channel of the frame member leg, the inner end of 5 leg "of which has an outwardly opening-semicirof the frame member and offset laterally out-' ward from the axis of the respective leg, each arm its inner end extending beyond the respective plvw means for engagement with the clevis when the arm is disposed at extending position.

a. latera 2. A device of the class described comprising" "outward beyond the axis of the respective frame member leg, a lateral arm mounted on each leg of. said member and having'its inner end extending between the jaws of the respective clevis, and means adjacent the inner-end ofeach arm pivotally connecting the arm with the jaws of the respective clevis on a pivot axis normal to the plane of the frame member and offset latorally outward from the axis of the respective.

leg, whereby the respective arm is swlngable to a position parallel with and alongside the said leg, each arm having its inner end extending beeach arm extending beyond the pivot means. for engagement with the bight of the respective clevis when the arm is at a laterally extended position.

-5. A'device of the class described comprising an inverted U-shaped central frame member:- each cular channel shaped section substantial-1y throughout its length, each-1eg-of said .frame member being bifurcated at its free end to provide :the jaws of a clevis disposed in a plane-normal to the plane ofthe frame memberyalateral arm'of cylindrical form mounted oneachleg of the frame member and having its inner end extending 'between the jawsof therespectiveclevis,"=means ad- 'jacent' the inner endofeacharm pivotally' connecting the arm to the jaws of the respective clevis on a pivot'axis normal-to the plane of the frame member whereby the arm is swingable about the pivot axis to nest in-and along the channel of the frame member leg, and resilient-retaining means projecting from the longitudinal edgesof e'ach leg for partiallyembracing the respective arm when it is in nested position therelon'g, the inner 'end of each arm extending-beyond the-pivot means forengagement with the bight' of the respectiveclevis when the arm is' 'a't a-latera-lly extended "position.

JEROME G. .AIBER'I.

Itefcz'ences'Cited'in the file or this patent 'UNITED STATES 'PATEN'IS Number Name a i" Date 1,114,002 Kalina Oct.l20',.-.1914 

